The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1887-05-31
THE DANCING GHOST.

III you have ever seen the gossamer
spider rising in the air of a dewy autumn
morning. hoar and sparkling, and sail
ing away into invisible ether, or the
thistle-down blowing before the wind
from nowhere to nowhere, or a foam
wreath full Of rainbows where the wave
smites a rock, or a puff Of smoke out
rolling and vanishing into thin air, you
have seen something that might resem-
ble Annie Estray S dancing, if anything
in dull nature could be as light, as airy,
as instinct with. animate grace, as every
melting movement of this young crea-
ture was.
Dancing so entirely as if it were ma
tural TO her as flying, to a bird or blow
ing to the wind, and every other mode
Of motion were something constrained,
you may be sure, she loved to dance to
music, and in all the rush and excite
ment Of the ballroom; and she danced
through the year like little marsh
! light and swampfre in human Shape, at
the Springs, at Newport, at Bar Island,
the summer long, and from house to
house. from rout to rout, the winter
through. AN heiress, lovely, arrayed
like young queen; she had no lack Of
partners, bat she cared nothing person
ally for any of them; one day she should
marry, Of course, a cousin probably;
they all married cousins in her family
" and kept the property together; it
/ wouldn't matter whether he danced or
not, for people didn't dance with their
( husbands. But the others-she rated
and valued all men according to their
capacity as dancers only; they might be
! Shakespeares or Sydneys CT simpletons,
it mattered nct-did they reverse easily
was the arm strong, the foot sure, the
ear for music keen, could they carry
their partner well, with clear head,
guide the motion and lead the figure?
Nf not, then they were useless to her,
1lough they could move worlds. But
such accomplishments were theirs,
q hat was all she wished Of them. For
a le rest she could do her part; and her
4 lrt wars ecstasy. @
81 You may imagine, then, with what
81 dor she pursued it, what toilettes she
.a pre-, what color and light and grace
3 Yl.ed about her; dancing like but
A Eay, before the wind, like bubble on
river, unconscious Of Ill the admir-
|5 eyes that followed dancing for the
s48 re love Of the delicious movement,
Ssa Il every muscle and fibre Of her body
@ ponslve to the rhythm of the music
playing out the tune. Seldom
.s2sM king much, flashing from the arms
M pne partner to another; flushed,
r, heated, iavaging the ices and
ng off the champagne cup served
M the floor, and never resting till far
the morning, the music hushed
Rhe last peremptory summons came
daylight dappling the east; and
suddenly all the fire falling, the
becoming white, the eyes heavy
|)3|s lark purple circles, the step Ian
1t was very evident that she was
34EtA ng out her vital flame with an in
y that presently could leave moth
ashes.
@ sure she had plenty or COM
y in this whirl Of the winters
/; many of them stronger, roster,
pller currents bounding in their
but not one Of them the mad
! that she was herself. They
sme of them Of the old, well-fed
{ sely-married families; Others Of
" blood, lately enriched with
nd spices, and not yet befouled
10 much of them; and others
s Pe herself, Of long intermarried
proud Of their taint, and where
stem had spindled to a thread.
IN Of these tile pollen dust of
stor's incipient disease had not
the germ in another's; full of